They say change is inevitable and the last decade is definitive of change especially when it comes to women in India. This is something that popped into my head; I mean there are definitely other ways to prove it; but the fact became a reality very personally recently when my mother WhatsApp-ed me her grocery list. Just a year ago, this was a painful procedure involving multiple calls as I headed to the nearby grocery store.

I still have memories of hilarious conversations between the grocer and my mom and also the joy in seeing her bargain for everything. Today, my mother and even grandmothers across the country practically live online on apps like WhatsApp. And these same women then scold us youngsters for being addicted to phones — the irony!

But let’s not forget the safety this change has brought about. Having access to smartphones and the internet has led to our mothers and grandmothers being able to access safety tools at any point of time and also have the world at their fingertips. I’d rather have a young nimble delivery boy carry the month’s groceries than my mom, my aunt or for that
matter, me.

These changes have also made equality more possible. The fact that the women in our households who have been disenfranchised of a voice, now have access to enough of social media where their voices can be heard – this is a reality today and I am thankful for that! I am happy to see the womenfolk around me being more confident and taking their own decisions. I see more women discarding traditional roles and taking on new ones. More women braving new adventures they would have never had the courage to even attempt before. I like what this change is bringing about.

Our lives are empty without women. As men, we hardly realise how important women are to us. We’re pretty useless without them. And on that important realisation, here’s wishing all the women out there: happy women’s day. Thank you for being you and here’s to more freedoms, emancipation and changes that make you even braver, stronger and happier!